Sian Leah Beilock is Dartmouth College’s new president, and the first woman to hold the role in the college’s over 250-year history.
She comes from Barnard College in New York City, where she was president for 6 years. Beilock succeeds former President Philip Hanlon, who stepped down earlier this month after a decade in office.
President Beilock joined NHPR's All Things Considered host Julia Furukawa to talk about her goals for the institution.
Transcript
So you've been meeting with students, staff, alumni, people living in Hanover to understand Dartmouth a little bit better as you join us here in New Hampshire. What have you been hearing from them?
It's actually been really great because I was announced almost a year ago. So I've had a long runway and I've been able to spend time in Hanover, but also on Zoom, meeting with faculty, staff, students and alums. I've been hearing a lot about what a special place Dartmouth is, both in terms of the community and in terms of the sense of place itself. It's nice to now have landed here and get to experience that sense of place full time.
Some students have taken the opportunity of a change in leadership to voice some concerns they have for the institution. I'm thinking about some editorials in the student newspaper. Some of those concerns included Greek life and investment in undergraduate resources. How are you thinking about these issues that students have raised?
Change in leadership is always a great time to step back and take a look at an institution and understand what's great, but also where the challenges and opportunities are. So I'm on a listening and learning tour. That’s the mode I’m in, and so I’m excited for all the interactions I’m getting to have.
And could I ask you just more directly about these concerns that students raised about Greek life?
Look, I'm getting to know the institution and trying and listening and learning. I know there are lots of ways that we have community on campus, and I believe Greek life is one of them. Of course, we have to ensure that there are opportunities for community in many different places, and we also have to ensure that in any system, people feel that they're included, that they belong, that they are treated equitably, [and] safely. And so, I'm interested in understanding that and learning about that, and learning about all the different types of community we have at Dartmouth.
Students face many pressures during their college years. Is there anything you believe Dartmouth could do better to prioritize student mental health during their time at the college?
I really think that health and wellbeing, not just for students but for our faculty [and] for our staff, is so important. It's not something that sits alongside excellence. It is actually something that is a precursor to it. What that means is that we have to take an institutional stance towards well-being. I think it's looking at everything we do, how we support our students inside and outside the classroom, but it's also looking at how we support the people that are teaching our students and working with our students, our faculty and staff. It’s something I’m really committed to, and I’m excited to really center wellbeing in everything that happens in Dartmouth.
You recently moved from the big city, New York, to the small town of Hanover. What's something you're looking forward to doing while you're in the Granite State and becoming a part of this community?
The outdoors is really appealing to me. I already hiked Mount Moosilauke and I love running all around campus and around town. And so I'm excited to live that more fully.
NHPR followed up with Beilock Thursday, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to overturn affirmative action, to ask how it would impact Dartmouth.
"This decision in no way changes Dartmouth’s fundamental commitment to building a diverse and welcoming community of faculty, students, and staff, as articulated in our institutional values," she wrote in a letter addressed to the Dartmouth community. You can read the full letter here.
